1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to one-time programming memory cells (OTP) and, more specifically, to such memory cells in which the storage element is formed by a resistive polysilicon element in an integrated circuit.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
The programmable resistive element is then in series with a programming switch, possibly also used as a cell selection switch, and the programming is performed in non-destructive fashion (conversely to a fusible element) by causing an irreversible decrease in the value of the resistive polysilicon element.
FIG. 1 shows in a very simplified partial perspective view an example of a polysilicon resistor of the type used in a memory cell to which the present invention applies.
Such a resistor 1 is formed of a polysilicon track (also called a bar) obtained by etching of a layer deposited on an insulating substrate 2. Substrate 2 is indifferently formed of the integrated circuit substrate or is formed of an insulating layer forming an insulating substrate or the like for resistor 1. Resistor 1 is connected, by its two ends, to conductive tracks (for example, metal tracks) 3 and 4 intended to connect the resistive bar to the other integrated circuit elements according to the application. The simplified representation of FIG. 1 makes no reference to the different insulating and conductive layers generally forming the integrated circuit. To simplify, only resistive bar 1 laid on insulating substrate 2 and in contact, by the ends of its upper surface, with the two metal tracks 3 and 4, has been shown. In practice, the connections of resistive element 1 to the other integrated circuit components are obtained by wider polysilicon tracks starting from the ends of bar 1 in the alignment thereof. In other words, resistive element 1 is generally formed by making a section of a polysilicon track narrower than the rest of the track.
Resistance R of element 1 is given by the following formula:R=ρ(L/s),
where ρ designates the resistivity of the material (polysilicon, possibly doped) forming the track in which element 1 is etched, where L designates the length of element 1, and where s designates its section, that is, its width 1 multiplied by its thickness e. Resistivity ρ of element 1 depends, among others, on the possible doping of the polysilicon forming it. In certain cases, the polysilicon element is covered with a metal layer, the resistive element then combining the polysilicon and the overlying metal.
Most often, upon forming of an integrated circuit, the resistors are provided by referring to a notion of so-called square resistance R□. This square resistance defines as being the resistivity of the material divided by the thickness with which it is deposited. Taking the above relation giving the resistance of an element 1, the resistance is thus given by the following relation:R=R□*L/1.
Quotient L/1 corresponds to what is called the number of squares forming resistive element 1. This represents, as seen from above, the number of squares of given dimension depending on the technology put side by side to form element 1.
The value of the polysilicon resistor is thus defined, upon manufacturing, based on the above parameters, resulting in so-called nominal resistivities and resistances. Generally, thickness e of the polysilicon is set by other manufacturing parameters of the integrated circuit. For example, this thickness is set by the thickness desired for the gates of the integrated circuit MOS transistors.
In recent technologies, the use of polysilicon resistors is limited to resistors meant to be run through, in operation, by currents smaller than 100 μA. For greater currents, a diffusion resistor is generally used. Polysilicon is however preferred to a dopant diffusion, since the occurrence of stray capacitances with the substrate is avoided.
To irreversibly decrease the value of a polysilicon resistor, a so-called constraint current is temporarily imposed, for which the resistance crosses a maximum value, this current being beyond the normal operating current range of this resistance. In other words, the polysilicon resistivity in the operating current range is decreased, in stable and irreversible fashion, by imposing in the corresponding resistive element the flowing of a current beyond the operating current range.
The current used to decrease the resistance is, conversely to a fusible element, non-destructive for the polysilicon element.
FIG. 2 illustrates, with a curve network giving the resistance of a polysilicon element of the type shown in FIG. 1 according to the current flowing therethrough, the way of decreasing the resistance of this element.
It is assumed that the polysilicon having been used to manufacture resistive element 1 exhibits a nominal resistivity giving element 1, for the given dimensions 1, L, and e, a resistance Rnom. This nominal (original) value of the resistance corresponds to the value taken in a stable manner by resistive element 1 in the operating current range of the system, that is, generally, for currents smaller than 100 μA.
To decrease the resistance and to switch in an irreversible and stable manner, for example, to a value R1 smaller than Rnom, a so-called constraint current (for example, I1), greater than a current Im for which the value of resistance R of element 1 is maximum without for all this being infinite, is imposed across resistive element 1. As illustrated in FIG. 2, once current I1 has been applied to resistive element 1, a stable resistance of value R1 is obtained in range A1 of operating currents of the integrated circuit. In fact, curve Snom of the resistance according to the current is stable for relatively low currents (smaller than 100 μA). This curve starts increasing for substantially higher currents on the order of a few milliamperes, or even more (range A2). In this current range, curve Snom crosses a maximum for value Im. The resistance then progressively decreases. In FIG. 2, a third range A3 of currents corresponding to the range generally used to make fuses has been illustrated. These are currents on the order of one tenth of an ampere where the resistance starts abruptly increasing to become infinite. Accordingly, it can be considered that the present invention uses intermediary range A2 of currents between operating range A1 and destructive range A3, to irreversibly decrease the resistance or more specifically the resistivity of the polysilicon element.
Indeed, once the maximum of curve Snom of the resistivity according to the current has been passed, the value taken by the resistance in the operating current range is smaller than value Rnom. The new value, for example, R1, depends on the higher value of the current (here, I1) which has been applied during the irreversible current phase. It should indeed be noted that the irreversible decrease performed by the present invention occurs in a specific programming phase, outside of the normal read operating mode (range A1) of the integrated circuit, that is, outside of the normal resistor operation.
Once the value of the polysilicon resistor has been lowered to a lower value (for example, R1 in FIG. 2), an irreversible decrease in this value may further be implemented. It is enough, to achieve this, to exceed maximum current I1 of the new curve S1 of the resistance according to the current. For example, the current value may be increased to reach a value I2. When the current is then decreased again, a value R2 is obtained for the resistor in its normal operating range. The value of R2 is smaller than value R1 and, of course, than value Rnom.
It can be seen that all the curves of the resistance according to the current join on the decrease slope of the resistance value, after having crossed the maximum of the curve. Thus, for a given resistive element (ρ, L, s), currents I1, I2, etc. which must be reached, to switch to a smaller resistance value, are independent from the value of the resistance (Rnom, R1, R2) from which the decrease is caused.
What has been expressed hereabove as the resistance value actually corresponds to a decrease in the resistivity of the polysilicon forming the resistive element. The present inventors consider that the crystalline polysilicon structure is modified in a stable manner and that, in a way, the material is reflowed, the obtained final crystalline structure depending on the maximum current reached. In fact, the constraint current causes a temperature rise of the silicon element, which causes a flowing thereof.
Of course, it will be ascertained not to exceed programming current range A2 (on the order of a few milliamperes) to avoid destroying the polysilicon resistor. This precaution will pose no problem in practice since the use of polysilicon to form a fuse requires much higher currents (on the order of one tenth of an ampere), which are not available once the circuit has been made.
The practical forming of a polysilicon resistor according to the present invention does not differ from the forming of a conventional resistor. Starting from an insulating substrate, a polysilicon layer is deposited and etched according to the dimensions desired for the resistor. Since the deposited polysilicon thickness is generally determined by technology, the two dimensions which can be adjusted are the width and the length. Generally, an insulator is redeposited on the polysilicon bar thus obtained. In the case of an on-line interconnection, width 1 will have been modified with respect to the wider access tracks to be more strongly conductive. In the case of an access to the ends of the bar from the top as shown in FIG. 1, vias will be made in the overlying insulator (not shown) of the polysilicon bar to connect contact metal tracks 3 and 4.
In practice, to have the highest resistance adjustment capacity with a minimum constraint current, a minimum thickness and a minimum width will be desired to be used for the resistive elements. In this case, only length L conditions the nominal value of the resistance once the polysilicon structure has been set. The possible polysilicon doping, whatever its type, does not hinder the implementation of the present invention. The only difference linked to the doping is the nominal resistivity before constraint and the resistivities obtained for given constraint currents. In other words, for an element of given dimensions, this conditions the starting point of the resistance value, and accordingly the resistance values obtained for given constraint currents.
To switch from the nominal value to a lower resistance or resistivity value, several methods may be used.
For example, the current is progressively (step by step) increased in the resistor. After each application of a higher current, it is returned to the operating current range and the resistance value is measured. As long as current point Im has not been reached, this resistance value will remain at value Rnom. As soon as current point Im has been exceeded, there is a curve change (curve S) and the measured value when back to the operating currents becomes a value smaller than value Rnom. If this new value is satisfactory, the process ends here. If not, higher currents are reapplied to exceed the new maximum value of the current curve. In this case, it is not necessary to start from the minimum currents again as when starting from the nominal resistance. Indeed, the value of the current for which the resistance will decrease again is necessarily greater than the value of constraint current I1 applied to pass onto the current curve. The determination of the pitch to be applied is within the abilities of those skilled in the art and is not critical in that it essentially conditions the number of possible decreases. The higher the pitch, the higher the jumps between values will be.
According to another preferred example, the different currents to be applied to pass from the different resistance values to smaller values are predetermined, for example, by measurements. This predetermination of course takes into account the nature of the polysilicon used as well as, preferentially, the square resistance, that is, the resistivity of the material and the thickness with which it is deposited. Indeed, since the curves illustrated by FIG. 2 may also be read as the curves of the square resistance, the calculated values may be transposed to the different resistors of an integrated circuit defined by the widths and lengths of the resistive sections. According to this second embodiment, the value of the constraint current to be applied to the resistive element to decrease its value in an irreversible and stable manner can then be predetermined.
The curve change, that is, the decrease in the resistance value in normal operation is almost immediate as soon as the corresponding constraint current is applied. “Almost immediate” means a duration of a few tens or even hundreds of microseconds which are sufficient to apply the corresponding constraint to the polysilicon bar and decrease the value of its resistance. This empirical value depends on the (physical) size of the bar. A duration of a few milliseconds may be chosen for security. Further, it can be considered that, once the minimum duration has been reached, no additional duration of application of the constraint current modifies, at least at the first order, the obtained resistance. Moreover, even if in a specific application, it is considered that the influence of the duration of application of the constraint cannot be neglected, the two methods are perfectly compatible with the taking into account of the duration of application of the constraint.
The fact that the resistance value can be decreased several times with respect to its value just after manufacturing by successively applying larger and larger constraint currents can let envisage a multiple-level memory cell. Indeed, it may be provided to program several times (a finite number of times) a memory cell comprising a resistive element of the type described hereabove to decrease several times the value of this resistive element. By detecting the value differences of the resistive element (for example, by measuring the voltage thereacross while it is integrated in a resistive dividing bridge), it may be envisaged to form a multiple-level memory cell.
However, the reading of such a memory cell is particularly complex since the read amplifier must be capable of distinguishing the analog levels that cannot be easily predetermined.
Further, the application of various constraint currents to the resistive element according to the value which is desired to be programmed therein would be a very delicate operation. Indeed, the different current levels to be obtained lead to an analog implementation which is generally poorly compatible with the forming of an integrated circuit memory for which logic levels are essentially desired, at least for the control.
It would however be desirable to take advantage of the capacity of programming of polysilicon resistive elements by irreversible decrease in the value of their resistance, which is a particularly well adapted way of making the state programmed in a memory cell invisible (especially by optical observation).